DXB w@wies' 2nd EB

Last November 28 (Wednesday), we were able to hold the 2nd EB of the Dubai-based w@wies. You might be asking for the meaning of "w@wies"!?! Well, I consider it as a *sisterhood*... of members of the yahoogroup for Weddings@Work. This group is composed of bride-to-be's (b2b) and a few husband-to-be's (h2b) who are very hands-on for their wedding preparations.

Actually, this is already the 2nd EB...the 1st one was held sometime in October. Attendees were: Me & Randy, Emtee & Rico, Shelai, Grace, Kelvin & Ann (of Imagineer Digital). 1st EB was held in Black Canyon Resto near Wonderland (yep...where Pokwang & Claudine Barretto was working for the movie, DUBAI). Here's a sample picture of the 1st EB: (Sorry for the size, I was not able to retain the original size...



Since we enjoyed each other's company during the 1st EB, we decided to hold the 2nd EB...also to meet other w@wies who didn't make it in the 1st EB. And also, to consume my remaining "Buy one, Take one" stubs in Pizza Express (sayang kasi, hehehe..next time daw Dunkin Donuts naman, meron din akong stubs...hahahah!)

We really had fun making chismisans of anything under the sun, hahaha...therefore, I decided to itemize the things I learned that night...hehehe:

(1) Di pala laging late si Emtee, kase this time, siya pinakauna...pero teka, late pa rin sya!!!...9:++ na sya dumating, 9PM ang usapan, hahaha...
(2) Shelai was busy with work...di tuloy sya nakaattend...same with the other w@wies like Grace, Gladys & Mary Grace
(3) Yna & Nelson are currently staying in Deira, while Gayle is from Al Ghusais (layo, sis, sobra!) and Peejay is from Satwa. Emtee from Hor Al Anz and Rico from Fish Roundabout...
(4) Gum paste pala ang tawag dun sa parang caketopper ni Emily Uy...thanks, Gayle! Parang gusto ko talaga ng cake nya.
(5) I learned na kelangan ko nang gawin ang misalette ko kasi si Emtee, meron na...atatibat talaga...eh July ka pa kaya! haler! hehehe...
(6) *Daig ng maagap ang masipag...* Yna-Nelson is the most OC couple among the group...eh 2008 pa pala sila...buti pa sila dami pang time!
(7) Yna is a co-PLMayer...pati pala si Chelle of Ernest...uyyy, pare pareho tayong mga iska! hehehe...
(8) Rico is also a PSP geek...ehehehe...
(9) Meron din palang *penholder* sa entourage...kung gugustuhin mo, hehehe...ek ek lang..hehehe...
(10) Marami na pala kaming guests!...ayayay..pano ba liitan ang list?!?
(11) Gayle and Peejay are both from San Pedro, Laguna...and I'm from Binan, Laguna!!!
(12) Gayle's bridesmaid (or MOH?) is also from PLM...magna cum laude din, ka-batch ko rin...o divah, daming similarities!
(13) 2-hours ang travel time from Jumeirah 1 to Bur Dubai pag Tuesday...kainis!
(14) Pwedeng maging kamukha ng pandesal ang puto seko
(15) Tuwing November, nagkakasakit si behbe, este si Rico pala... =) because of the weather change
(16) Eto pinakamatindi...."Pag bago ang waiter, wag nyong tatarantahin...lalo syang matataranta..." anyenye!

For sure, marami pakong nakalimutan i-mention. But it was really a blast! But then, let me introduce to you my co-w@wies present in the 2nd EB:

Emtee & Rico - July 2007

Nelson & Yna - December 2008

Peejay & Gayle - April 2007

(Sorry, I need to practice more on *portrait shots*...)

And here's our group picture (wala si Randy ko kasi sya kumuha ng pic...)

Now, I'm looking forward for the 3rd EB... sana bago kami umuwi ng Pinas...hehehe!

One fine photo whoring session!

Last Saturday, as I was waiting for our photographer (for our Prenup: Part 3) outside our house, I decided to hold up my camera and shoot whatever my lenses would reach. Well, I've been a practicing or should I say, still on *learning stages* of Photography. And sadly, my equipment right now is not capable of producing panoramic & picturesque of every single detail (kahit na it's not a point-and-shoot type, still it lacks somehow of various features that I'm really looking for). In short, all the features are purely M-A-N-U-A-L. What I usually do is to just edit the shots using either Fireworks (which is no damn good for me, kasi naghahang palage!) or Photoshop.

However, I already got tired of editing photos...I want shots that are dramatic, impressive & spectacular as it is...no edits...no modifications...none whatever! *Wut to do, yani?!?* No more *moolah* to shell out for an upgrade...so I had no choice but to practice manual focus...with my Sony Cybershot DSC-H2...sniff!sniff!sniff! (thanks for my initiative to read...read...and read!) Well, these are the outputs...and purely, these are unedited...hooray! (Been practicing DOF, FL & aperture for weeks...now I'm a *bit* satisfied -- only a bit, okay? hehehe....). Tell me watchathink?! (The descriptions are below the corresponding pictures...)

My first attempt...using f/2.8 (my largest aperture)

Now, I tried to adjust it to f/3.5 (next largest aperture), still with no flash...

I was captured by this shot! Noticed the branch in front? It's a little blurred, right? And the rear detail...? It's blurred also, right? My focus point is the plant in the middle! PERFECT!

Just another PERFECT shot! a shallow DOF! hehehe...sorrrryyyy for my subjects...total nonsense...but these are just practice outputs...oks lang...easy easy muna...

Yep...they're bad...after smoking, they tend to throw the butts here...baaaaddddd!

Then, we headed towards Jumeirah Beach Park and Madinat Jumeirah to do our final prenup. In between takes, I was able to shoot few sceneries nang patakas, hahaha...pasaway talaga kay direk, ehehehe....Here are the samples:

Uyy, this was my shot while running...no camera shakes..pwede na rin ang shutter speed! oha!

sumasideline lang ng shot while having prenup...

So that's it...tell me watchathink!!!

Our CD layouts!

Finally!!! We have received the CD layout for our souvenirs...I'm soooo happy with the results. I've been wanting to give our guests these CDs as souvenirs since both of us (ni Randy) are music (& photo) addicts! The title of the CD is "Our Love Story". No brainer talaga, since yun talaga yung laman ng CD (Hint: The arrangement of the songs depicts the stages of our relationship).

But now the question is...which scheme should we use? Ohhhh...it's so hard to decide. However, we can choose naman both pero iba pa rin pag magkakapareho diba? But tell me whatchathink...kokei??? If you prefer for us to use both na lang, tell us din ha! *These are the 1st layouts...I don't like the spelling of name in it...hmph!*

SCHEME 1: CD + LABEL (Burj Al Arab open beach)





SCHEME 2: CD + LABEL (Dubai Creek Park)

Now, I really need a psycho...

From my previous post, I admitted that I'm becoming an entirely gadget sucker...well, seems to be that this is getting worse.

Gitex is finally over...whew...thank God! But hey, guess what I've got last _________ (I won't disclose the exact day for personal reasons, heehehe...mahirap na, diko kilala lahat ng lurker ng blogs ko, ahihihihi...)...here it is...an 80GB IPod Video:







...now that leaves me thinking if I could survive the christmas season sa Pinas. Hmmm...o ayan, mga inaanak, pagpasensyahan nyo muna si ninang..hehehe. Well, these gadgets really make me happy, wut to do, yani?!? And music really revives my spirit and senses...that's why. Now, I'm thinking of where to get the 20,000 songs/(or can be shared by movies) which is the capacity of my iPOD Video, whoaaa! Bye, iPod Nano...sa wakas, nilubayan mo rin ako! - ay parang para sa iba ata yun...matagal na kong nilubayan ni "iPOD Nano" kaya eto matahimik na ang buhay ko, heheheh. Goodluck na lang sa mga bago nyang kasama ngayon...if I were you, umbagan nyo na yan isa-isa! hahaha... well, now I'm parting with the "real" iPOD Nano (I know... alam ng mga lurker ng friendster blog ko what I'm talking about right here).

Oh well, having another Apple product really gives me high spirit...yehey!



Oh by the way, 26 days to go...and..."Manila, manila...I keep coming back to Manila..."

I'm a certified gadget sucker! ewww!

The long wait is over...GITEX is finally here! Gitex is an annual event in Dubai where major suppliers of gadgets, softwares & other IT devices including home appliances showcase their products thru exhibitions and putting their items on S-A-L-E...incredibly low prices, that is! The event will run from Nov 18 til 24th...I hurriedly went to Airport Expo last Saturday (the 1st day of event). I had no intention of buying anything...though there was a Dhs15 entrance fee, I just wanted to be there to witness the event and to have an idea of the items in store...but to my surprise, as I got out of the EXPO building at exactly 8:58PM (the Expo closes @ 9PM), I was already carrying paper bags loaded with gadgets...whew!...what can I do? Temptations...temptations...temptations...I just told myself...this is just an annual event...if I don't buy now, I must wait until Nov 2007 which is very far from now. That pacified me a bit...but hey! That was the same thing I told myself when I bought Macbook, Sony DSC-H2, Sony Cybershot,Creative webcam, HP Photosmart C381, Pioneer DVD Player, iPod and HP Laptop and tons of laptop bags (which I'm slowly selling each one now, ahihihihi)!!!

Well, I really enjoyed the Gitex Shopper last Saturday...the reason why I keep on sneezing and coughing now...really got tired walking past along the many booths and stores! As I said, I did not plan to buy anything, but I just couldn't resist the temptation...gadgets were everywhere! If I would not be preparing for my wedding on January, I could have bought 60% of the items there...good thing! (But I am not rich as you may think...just brave enough to swipe my credit cards...huhuhu!) Okay...okay...now, I got a Playstation Portable (PSP)-- BLACK. I was looking for a WHITE one but to no avail...they have pink, they have black, but no white...duh! So instead of the Pink version (which I can see as a "Game&Watch 4th generation"), I opted for the Black one. But...they have no GIGA pack available...after so many scouting done, we (with Randy, of course, another super gamer!) chose the Value pack and just bought separately the 1 GB memstick.

Randy, on the other hand, bought a portable Nextbase DVD player for my soon-to-be FIL (sige, kaskas lang nang kaskas...huhuhu...baon na po sa utang!).

Oh, did I mention that at first (this is the 1st time I thought of buying..how many times do I have to tell you that I did not plan to buy anything! hahaha!), I was supposed to buy Ipod Video 80 GB...but after Randy's hypnotism (for PSP), I left the IPOD VIDEO idea...so here it is...I'm a certified gadget sucker...but I am a Woman and soon to be wife! =(







Should I be more interested with kitchen & garden tools than these stuff?!? Now, tell me....

Oh by the way, these are my new shots (just playing around with my camera, using PSP as the subject):

Our 1st prenup: DUBAI CREEK PARK & my 1st Dhow Cruise on our last anniversary as BF/GF

Oh yes...slowly, I'm updating each one of you of the significant happenings of my life now that our wedding is fast approaching. Well, let me share to you our 1st prenup experience...

As mentioned in my previous post, on October 13, 1PM, we went to Spinneys (Bur Dubai) to fetch Kelvin. Then, we proceeded to Creek Park na. At first, mejo shy kami ni Randy magpose. Weird, parang hindi ako (na ready to pose lage!). Then sabi ni Kelvin, ok lang daw...play around lang daw muna kami..then we never thought na kinukuhanan na pala nya kame ng lagay na yun...tingnan nyo to, nakuhanan pako nung chinecheck ko yung make up ko na natutunaw dahil sa init ng araw...take note: we're shooting under the scorching heat of the sun..siguro mga 45-degree centigrade lang naman...



And here's another shot habang pinag aaralan ko yung camera ni Kelvin..hehehe...we were really caught off-guard!



The prenup went well except for the fact na sobrang nauhaw kami...coz it was still Ramadan and we're forbidden to drink or eat in public places. Here's an evidence of water scarcity (heeheehee!):



And here's another sample of the pictures:



To view more pictures, just visit my flickr account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/irobot773/sets/72157594351681430/
The shots are still raw images and unedited po...

The prenup ended at 4:30 PM. Since it's early pa, and sarado pa ang restos, we decided to stay at our flat muna in Deira, ate some snacks and looked at the pictures, and even some of our housemates were amazed by the shots.

At 6PM, we proceeded to Fish & Co. at Al Ghurair City to treat Kelvin. Habang nagdidinner kami, Kelvin suddenly told me: "Uy, anniversary nyo pala. may dala ba kayong camera?Bakit di mo dinala cam mo, Lei?" And I said, "Bakit ko dadalhin?". Then, sabi ni Kelvin: "Eh di ba magdodhow cruise kayo? Buti pa, hiramin mo muna tong olympus ko." And I said, "What?Dhow Cruise?" Hala! ayun, buking ang Randy boy...hehehe. He mentioned pala kay Kelvin yung surprise nya (while I went back to Flat before going to Al Ghurair, kase ba naman, suot ko yung tsinelas pambahay pagbaba sa lift, hahaha!) but he forgot to tell Kelvin na it's a surprise, hahaha! I was laughing hard talaga kasi never pako nasurprise ni Randy and up to our last anniv, di pa rin nya nagawa, hahaha. Ayun, namumula talaga yung 2...Randy was blushing sa pagkapahiya...while Kelvin was saying sorry again and again and again...hahaha! Then ayun na nga, after eating, we hailed a cab for Kelvin. Then off we went to our flat again where the travel agency will be fetching us in time for our Dhow Cruise schedule.

At 8PM, we're already heading to the Dhow Cruise. As I get off the car, I felt like a princess. We were welcomed by group of chefs, waiters & waitresses and other staff of the Cruise. As I entered the cruise, I was amazed by the place...sobrang romantic! We decided to sit next to the buffet table,hahahah! Then ayun na...the food was OK lang naman...tinry din namin umakyat sa 2nd floor..sbrang romantic talaga. Dun pala dapat ibibigay ni Randy yung ring...but then, as mentioned in my previous post, atat kasi sya...hehhehe!

Overall, the day was excellent! Sobrang memorable for me...kahit na pagod na pagod kami at the end of the day. Sorry if I can't share some of the Dhow Cruise pictures at this time. Diko pa kasi nakukuha kay Kelvin since cam nya nga yung ginamit namin...hehehe.

Hope you enjoyed reading my super habang kwento...sencia na po.

By the way, we already had our 2nd prenup which was held at the open beach near Burj Al Arab...next post na lang!

Finally got APERTURE!

Some people say that if you got a MAC, you also got to spend a fortune just to have the high-end softwares that should come with it to maximize its features and capabilities...not for me!!! I FINALLY got Aperture...(thanks to Kelvin, my MAC tutor, eheheh!). For those unfamiliar with this, Aperture costs around $299 if you would purchase it from Apple. Here in Dubai, it costs more than 1,200AED...that really costs a lot...I could buy a new camera accessory with that...or a PSP...or a new iPod! I was trying to run the software for 2 weeks already but not successful...because my Macintosh HD is outdated! Pano naman, di ako makapag software update since naka-hold ang wi-fi connection ko sa house since we just recently transferred. Though meron naman kaming nasasagap (from Irish neighbor, hahaha!), napuputol sya once tulugan ko na...para bang sanggol na dpat bantayan...kainis! And now, I finally updated my software...thanks to the wi-fi connection of the nearby office unit, hahaha! It took me almost 3 hours to update...after that, I was successful in running the APERTURE! Now, my next task is to...DISCOVER THE ENIGMA of APERTURE FEATURES! whoa! sana lang mamaximize ko ang use neto,..thank you ulet, kelvs...ay sori..kelvin pala, ehehehe!

By the way, you can get more info about the software thru: http://www.apple.com/aperture

Our last anniversary as BF/GF

October 13 was such a very significant date for our relationship...our last anniversary as BF/GF...let me tell you what happened days before that and "on the day"...

*October 12*
At 4pm, I'm at home already.I'm planning to have a surprise for Randy.So I went off to Al Ghurair City (while calling and texting Randy kung nasan na sya, para mamonitor ko pag uwi nya and masurprise ko sya). So here na ko sa Al Ghurair, I bought yung pinapangarap nyang shoes which is the Chuck Taylor, Batman edition (ganun kababaw ang pangarap nya!). Dumiretso ako dun sa store ng iba't ibang tatak ng shoes. But then, wala silang stock nung yellow batman na chuck taylor. So karipas ako dun sa "Pairs" Boutique. Pagkakita ko palang sa display, sabi ko agad dun sa saleslady, "Give me size 9 of this one! (Sabay turo)". Sobrang nagmamadali nako to the max kasi anytime, dadating na sya. Then pagkabigay sakin ng shoes, karipas nako ng takbo pabalik sa flat. I prepared na the shoes, some greetings, and some kaek-ekan. I took a bath (while still on-guard sa pagdating ni Randy - buti na lang natraffic sya that day, hahaha!). Then @ 6pm, he finally arrived! I opened the door, let him enter the room first leaving me @ the sala watching TV. The shoes and other stuff are all set up at the top of the bed which looks like this:



Then, I was waiting for a reaction from outside but I heard no sound at all from the room his in...so, I proceeded na sa room...that's the time that I saw him like this, making arte (I had my cam ready inside the room):



He was really surprised!Then, di na rin sya nakapagpigil...he suddenly stretched his arms to get something inside his bag...and here it is:



Another side kwento, he haven't gave me an engagement ring kasi raw he has plans na kung kelan nya ibibigay. He was supposed to give the ring on the 13th of October...our exact date of 8th anniversary...pero di na sya nakapagpigil. He bought the ring 3 days before pa. Naging paranoid na nga sya to the point na he was expecting na alam ko na yun kasi nung minsan daw nakita nya kong may tiningnan sa bag nya. But honestly, I had no idea. That's also the reason kung bakit lagi syang OT nung week na yun...he was finding a good ring for me. Now, here's our picture exuding our happiness:



Then, after that, we started preparing for our gig that night (every Thursday night, we make it a point to eat dinner to any fancy restos we could think of!). I put on my make up and ironed my hair...then we proceeded to ISSIMO MARTINI BAR!

This was my first EB experience -- EB with the fellow UAE pexers. Have you heard of www.pinoyexchange.com? Well, I'm an active poster of the UAE thread. The EB was held in Issimo Martini Bar @ Deira. Issimo was the 1st bar I visited here in Dubai...usual na gimik kasi namin ni Randy puro mall lang or any day activity, but never pa sa gabi aside from "Food Trip". It was really fun to meet people na previously tinatawag mo lang by codenames..katuwa..Andun si DQ (dancing queen), TheBugs, sleepmonster, lemonNginger, kapitangkiko, sorilles at marami pang iba. By the way, my codename is "irobot", hahaha. They thought I'm a guy syempre. And also, I never imagined na ganun na kalakas uminom si Randy...he had 5 glasses of different types of martini & Smirnoff...my gosh! Samantalang ako, I only had 1 glass of martini...kakakwento, hahaha! Here are some of our pictures...





The 'wentuhan didn't end at the bar. At 2am (not really sure of the time..diko na maremember talaga), since the bar was already closing, we decided to have some coffee @ DQ's place. We bought some coffee @ Al Maya (yep, it's in front of our flat, but di pa rin kame umuwe,hehehe) and proceeded to super gandang flat ni DQ. The place was fantastic, sabi nya, most of his housemates daw eh interior designer...that's why. We stayed there until 4am. By 4:15am, Randy & I reached our flat. At 5am, we're already snoozing...zzzzz...

*October 13 - 10 am*
We forced ourselves to wake up...eventhough may hang-over pa si Randy. We went to Al Maya Supermarket to buy foods...we decided to cook na lang for Kelvin (our photographer from Imagineer Digital) since Ramadan pa and it's forbidden to eat in public places. Then at 11 am, Kelvin texted us na 1 pm na lang magkita...so we just ate our lunch in the flat. We dressed up na by 12nn and I did my own make up and hair since I don't trust the salons here...plus, another moolah pa yun, hehehe. Then @ 1 am, we proceeded to Spinney's to fetch Kelvin. It was my 1st time to see Kelvin personally, we just communicate thru YM (sometimes with webcam) and email exchanges. Well, from afar, nakilala ko agad sya...thru his chinito eyes,hehehe. I was surprised when I saw her bag, it was full-packed of photography devices...which really caught my eyes! Another post na lang yung 1st prenup 'wento...nakup, diko pa pala naikwento yung mismong surprise nya nung gabi ng Oct 13...that would require another post!

Getting irritated with Flickr slideshow

Hey, guys...if ever at this time you're seeing a Flickr slideshow in my blog, pasensya na. Topak tong blog ko eh...I tried my very best to remove the slideshow, but then wa epek...hayy, mapapagod din yan sa pag-appear nya jan. hehehe...

Our new SAVE-THE-DATE card

According to my ticker to our wedsite, there are still 2 months and 9 days until I get hitched. Well, as of today, we still have no invites for the principal sponsors. My problem now is that most of them are busy persons as in! So, I need to send the invites soon...but that's impossible, we still don't have a supplier for the PS invites (what we only have are the invites for the other guests which we DIY'd). Eastpark has not yet submitted their layout...so what I did is I made a SAVE_THE_DATE card to remind them (Yes, I know, Randy already made one 2 months back, but I suddenly don't like the design he made. Sorry, honey). Now, here's the output...

I will just be sending this to their email addresses...and we'll send the formal invites probably by the time we reach home (in the Philippines --- yipeeee! lapit na...dec20!)

Now, watchathink?

My latest D-I-Y Projects

It's barely 2 months na lang and it's our wedding day na. We've booked already our major suppliers. However, there are still minimal details to accomplish. For the last 2 weeks, I've been very busy with work. But last week, I have managed to devote some of my time doing my wedding details. Here are some of my accomplishments:


To save ourselves from "guests from hell", I've thought of this idea. From the many weddings I have attended, usual happening is that people tend to get souvenirs as many as they can. And from the very start, I told myself that that will never happen to my wedding. Kawawa naman yung couple. They spent a fortune for these souvenirs, only to go to just a few guests...kasi nga may nanggagahaman...sorry for the bluntness...but that's the reality. So, this will be the solution: All the guests are required to register first at the reception. They need to present their seat number (attached to their invitations), or if they forgot to bring, they can just state their name to the person in charge to validate the authenticity of their presence (hahaha...sigurista talaga...sorry, pero no space talaga for gate crashers!). After validation, they will be given this souvenir ticket and the "in charge" will state their seat number and escort them if necessary. (Seat numbers have place cards, so no space talaga for gate crashers! =)) Before the program ends, coordinators will be asking for their souvenir tickets...that's the only time they will be given souvenirs! For those eat-and-run peeps, better change, okay?! hehehe...

Yeah, I know I'm being harsh, but then, there are also exceptions. You can approach me if for some reason, you cannot comply with the above requirements. *wink*


This is our souvenir tag. This will be attached to all the souvenirs. Something they could also keep.

Our guestsheets! Since it's very hard to let all the guests sign to our "guestbook", I've decided to have this one also. So that all the guests will have their own page and chance to send their wishes to us. We have also tailored the questions so that they will never have a hard time thinking of the message they should give. This will be placed on top of their corresponding assigned tables. *Oh by the way, I forgot to include a "Name" field at the top"...I will edit na lang...and include that! And lastly,our formal monogram! Actually, we already have a "playful" monogram. But still, we decided to have a formal one also.

For the above, I would really appreciate your comments....specially, coming from my guests! yooohoooo!

Our candleholder!

Well, we...no, not we...I've finally found the candleholder that I want. Noticed that I said, "I've..."? Yes, because my h2b doesn't want to have this...another expense. But guys are always like that, so I just didn't bother to listen...my BAD! I bought it using my own money...sniff!sniff!


To view more pictures, kindly visit my photo uploader: http://www.flickr.com/photos/irobot773 , choose "wedding items".

The launching!

I hereby welcome myself being a new blogger here! yipeee! Well, I'm not really into creating blogs. But then, some circumstances say that I need to create a blog. I recently became busy harnessing my skills as an amateur photographer. At this stage, I still cannot proclaim myself as one of the bestests -- hahaha...but my determination to learn will surely get me into places...how I wish! Well, I dont't want naman to be the best...but I just want to have something to keep me busy aside from being a promising auditor. Since being an auditor doesn't involve any artistry (IMHO), this way I can have an outlet for the hidden part of myself...if there is...hehehe!

Now, why "jamoca almond fudge"? -- the ice cream flavor that wakes the childish part of myself..